fuel MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS 2003 Owner's Guide

355 Technical data
Spare parts service
Warranty coverage
Identification labels
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Engine
Rims and tires
Electrical system
Main dimensions
Weights
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Consumer information
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361 Technical data
Rims and tires
Rims and tires
Use only tires and rims which have been
specifically developed for your vehicle and
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Other tires and rims can have detrimental
effects, such as:

Poor handling characteristics


Increased noise


Increased fuel consumption
Same-sized tires
!Moreover, tires and rims not approved
by Mercedes-Benz may under load ex-
hibit dimensional variations and differ-
ent tire deformation characteristics
that could cause them to come into
contact with the vehicle body or axle
parts. Damage to the tires or the vehi-
cle can be the result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. A tire inflation
pressure table is located on the fuel fill-
er cap of the vehicle. The tire pressure
should only be adjusted on cold tires.
Follow the tire manufacturer’s mainte-
nance recommendation included with
the vehicle.
E320
E500
Rims (light alloy)
8J x 16 ET 39
8½J x 17 ET 38
Wheel offset
1.53 in (39 mm)
1.5 in (38 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
225/55 R 16 95 H
245/45 R 17 95 H
1
Winter tires (radial-ply tires)
225/55 R 16 95 H M+S
245/45 R 17 95 H M+S
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
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366 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
brands tested and recommended by us.Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products Pamphlet, or inquire at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
E320
E500
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmission
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10Rear axle
E320
E500
1.06 US qt (1 l)
1.37 US qt (1.3 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin
CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approx. 3.0 oz (85 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
0.64 US qt (0.6 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling system
E320
E500
approx. 10.7 US qt (10 l)
approx. 11.9 US qt (11.3 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion / Antifreeze
Fuel tank including a reserve of
21.12 US gal (80.0 l)
2.38 US gal (9.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Posted Octane 91 (Avg. of 96
RON / 86 MON)
Air conditioner system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lu-
bricant oil (never R-12)
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367 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Windshield washer
E320, E500
4.8 US qt (4.5 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 372).Windshield washer and headlamp cleaning
system
E320, E500
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
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368 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products Pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Please follow FSS recommendations for
scheduled oil changes. Failure to do so
could result in engine damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioner refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air conditioner
system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be re-
placed every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
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369 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded gasoline
meeting ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
p um p) m us t be 91 mi n. It i s an a vera ge
of both the Research (R) Octane Num-
ber and the Motor (M) Octane Number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE is not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
gasoline is not available and low octane
fuel is used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage


Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain
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370 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used
year-round to provide the necessary corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over pro-
tection. You should have it replaced every
15 years or 150 000 miles (250 000 km),
whichever comes first.
Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The
above replacement interval is only applica-
ble if MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze
solution or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet)
are used to renew the coolant concentra-
tion or bring it back up to the proper level. To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze [equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F (-30°C)]. If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze protec-
tion to approx. - 49°F (-45°C)], the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower
heat transfer capability of the solution.
Therefore, do not use more than this
amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.
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371 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
If the coolant level is low, water and MB
Anticorrosion /Antifreeze should be used
to bring it up to the proper level (have cool-
ing system checked for signs of leakage).
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum
parts. (Failure to use such anticorro-
sion/antifreeze coolant will result in a sig-
nificantly shortened service life.)Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion/Anti-
freeze Agent.
Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection– 35°F (– 37°C)
– 49°F (– 45°C)
E320
5.3 US qt (5.0 l)
5.9 US qt (5.5 l)
E500
6.0 US qt (5.65 l)
6.6 US qt (6.2 l)
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372 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Windshield and headlamp washer system
Both the windshield and headlamp washer
systems are supplied from the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.
The washer fluid reservoir has a capacity of
approx.:

7.4 US qt. (7 l) in vehicles with a head-
lamp cleaning system* or heated reser-
voir


4.8 US qt. (4.5 l) in vehicles without a
headlamp cleaning system

Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or con-
centrate and commercially available
premixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze, depending on am-
bient temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate "S"
and water:


1 part "S" to 100 parts water
[40 ml "S" to 1 gallon (4 liters) water].
For temperatures below freezing use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate "S"
and commercially available premixed
windshield washer solvent / antifreeze:


1 part "S" to 100 parts solvent
[40 ml "S" to 1 gallon (4 liters) solvent].
Warning
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may burn.
You can be seriously burned.
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377 Technical terms
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
FSS
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Service indicator in the multifunction
display that informs the driver when
the next vehicle maintenance service is
due.
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer
and fuel gauge.Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Lock button
Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the lock button down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.
Memory function*
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and mirror positions for
each key.
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